Ecopreneurist

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As Kristin Dispenza wrote on our sister blog Green Building Elements, one of the largest circulation home and design magazines, Metropolitan Home, has gone green. The April issue is all about green (the practical and the beautiful) design.

In an email to Ecopreneurist, Donna Warner, Editor in Chief of Metropolitan Home said, “For our April special ‘green’ issue, we wanted to sort through the hype and offer readers smart ways to incorporate green design into their homes. The issue provides tips and ‘how to’ advice from eco-experts on topics such as green renovation and also celebrates products for the home that will last forever, thanks to their extraordinary quality and enduring design.”

Although I love to flip through “shelter publications” as they are called, focusing on the pictures, my favorite feature in Met Home’s green issue is a five-way discussion called “Met Eco” among green architects, designers and planners about the products and techniques they recommend.

I am always on the look out for smaller companies whose time has come (now that almost all media sources are focused on the environment and green lifestyles). Some of the companies who caught my eye include:

Bottlestone countertops made by Fireclay Tile in San Jose, California (recommended by designer Denise Shaw) are beautiful and made from over 80% post-consumer recycled mixed glass. Let’s just hope Fireclay can scale up production after the Met Home publicity.

Another company making beautiful, practical and recycled glass products is Bedrock Industries recommended by Architect Rob Harrison. I love the tiles.

Urban Planner Steven Lenard gives a plug for supporting recycling businesses and recommends the CMRA as a place to find firms that recycle construction materials.

Until reading this article, I didn’t know that homeowners can rent solar panels, but Shaw says, “…for one house I did in Venice [California], the owners, a young couple, leased solar panels from a company called Citizenre. They didn’t have enough roof space to go entirely off the grid, but they’ve gotten pretty close.”

I also learned about some interesting Web “products.”

Did you know a house or apartment could have a “walk score?” Walk Score was launched by Mike Mathieu, the former General Manager of MSN.com to help people find homes and apartments located near shops, restaurants and other conveniences. Real Estate agents can add a Walk Score “tile” to their sites to help potential buyers and renters compare the walkability of different properties.

Another interesting initiative, by the nonprofit Build It Green, should help build the market for new companies providing sustainable building materials. Executive Director Brian Gitt said that Build It Green is launching a rating label called Green Point, which should help boost the value of new and remodeled homes that incorporate a significant number of green building elements.

I recommend you check out the tips and products mentioned in this
interesting conversation about how to green your renovation and other eco-living tips, which also included architect Eric Corey Freed.